HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality was excellent. It did an excellent job displaying the finest detail of HD content. Color accuracy was excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, looked very natural and lifelike. Contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--was good, so images had depth and dimension, typical of most models we test. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. Black levels are very good, with help from Samsung's vertically-edge-lit "Local Dimming" feature, delivering fairly deep blacks that help contrast in darker scenes (though quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model did a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There was slight display non-uniformity that created brighter cloudy areas most noticeable on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). We routinely see this issue with LCDs and severity can vary from model to model. The deinterlacing and film mode operations were excellent on HD content; there was little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Samsung has a moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing TVs we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of this model. When we viewed the TV from the sides, image quality got worse. The picture showed a moderate loss of color, so flesh tones looked a bit washed out, along with a slight color shift. Black levels visibly brightened, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was very good. The picture showed minimal change in color, contrast, and black level.
ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE. Overall UHD performance was excellent and showed excellent HD-to-UHD upconversion. All native 4K content (non HDR) we played on this model, including movies and test videos, was presented in full 4K detail with excellent fidelity when played back via the TV's HDMI input. This TV can stream 4K programs from Netflix and YouTube. Images were clean and finely detailed. High-resolution photos were displayed in full 4K detail.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. HDR performance was limited, just short of the best we've seen. The display's lack of high brightness capability (by HDR standards) limited its ability to show the benefits of HDR to full effect on our test videos, while revealing good contrast between moderately bright and very bright highlights within a scene. It did a good job reproducing a greater range of nuanced shadow detail from black to white, with no obvious banding on areas of the image that have subtle shade variations. There was no visible loss of near-white shadow detail in the brightest areas. Very bright, colored objects remained nicely saturated, and an extended range of color capability was only slightly apparent from our test patterns.
MOTION BLUR. This Samsung TV has very good motion performance, with minimal blurring on our motion tests, thanks to Samsung's "Auto Motion Plus". This feature is designed to reduce motion blur, a shortcoming of most displays. Although this TV includes a "LED Clear Motion" setting that was effective at further reducing motion blur it limited the brightness of the image, so we left the feature off.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY. Though not as mirror-like as on some models, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. It does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast in a brighter room environment.
SOUND QUALITY. This model has excellent sound quality, among the best we've tested. Whether you're watching a movie blockbuster, a concert, or TV show, it is able to deliver a top quality listening experience. Bass was very deep, providing almost subwoofer-like fullness to the sound but lacking in definition a bit, and treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was a bit closed in. The speakers produced a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments and without obvious distortion. You can get better quality from a high performing soundbar or separate home theater system but with this model that shouldn't be necessary.
EASE OF USE. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. Samsung’s advanced remote offers a simplified design that off-loads traditional buttons such as input-select or number pad, to an on-screen collection of icons. Though navigation is rather intuitive, the remote's non-backlit buttons have limited tactility and are not so easy to read, so you'll need to get comfortable with their feel when viewing in a darkened environment. It includes a built-in microphone that allows the user to search the internet, or change picture settings, by voice command.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV provides advanced Internet capabilities via its "Smart Hub" portal with access to a library of applications, and a full Web browser. Movie streaming services include Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Go and HBO Now.
CONNECTIONS. This model has four HDMI inputs-- one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), no component input, and no composite input. It also has three USB ports, an optical digital audio out, an Ethernet port, WiFi wireless networking; DLNA, to access files within your home network; Casting, which allows you to send streaming content from your mobile device to the TV via your home network; Screen mirroring, where the image on your smartphone or other compatible device can also appear on the TV. The cable connections on the rear panel are recessed with side or bottom-facing ports, so wires don't protrude beyond the display's depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A printed user manual. A quick start guide. An electronic manual in the TV's menu. A remote control with batteries.
ABOUT ULTRA HD TESTING: We test UHD picture quality using 4K movies, videos, photos, and test patterns to confirm these displays deliver performance to this format's full potential. We check the TV's ability to reproduce 4K image detail, as well as high dynamic range (HDR) for TVs that support this capability. Image quality is tested using a 4K movie player connected to the TV's HDMI input, as well as from files stored on flash drive plugged into the TV's USB port. We also check the quality of 4K streaming from Netflix or YouTube (if the service is supported by the TV), and how well the TV can upscale HD movies to the display's higher UHD resolution while keeping artifacts such as "jaggies" along the edges of image content to a minimum. The best UHD TVs, and HDTVs, present high fidelity images that reveal the full quality of the best source content without degradation.
